Brake for self-waiting tables.



W. GENTALA. BRAKE FOR SELF WAITING TABLES.

APPLIQATION FILED 1mm 12,1911.

1,017,349, Patented Feb. 20, 1912. :1 4 5 6, 27 57 41% gHEETS-SHEET 1.

l Z9 'LNL W /Z 1 f6: ...1. 1 p, 1 29 Z3 M Z9 J I )1 9 74 I v 24 a j o ii il 7 514 w e 4410 z @fiummo WATSON GENTALA, OF METZ, MICHIGAN.

BRAKE FOR SELF-WAITING- TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 12, 1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 632,669.

To all whom it may concern,"

Be it known that I, lVA'rsoN CENTALA, a citizen of the United States residing at Metz in the county of Presque Isle and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Self-Waiting Tables; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tables, and more especially to those known as self-waiting tables, wherein at least some portion of the table top may rotate; and the object of the same is to provide such a rotating table top with a motor and to use an improved form of brake in connection with the motor so that any of the occupants can operate the object the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and combination and arrangement of parts as will' be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 1s a side vlew with the parts broken away;

and in section; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section; Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the parts broken away and in section; Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view of the top of the table, showing the arrangement of the releasing mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the brake lever; Fig. 6 is a similar view of the trip plate for the brake lever; F ig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the central portion of the main and supple mental table tops showing more clearly the construction and arrangement of the universal joint for connecting the sections of the operating shaft.

My improved table comprises a circularstationary top 1 secured in any suitable manner to supporting legs 2. In the top 1 is formed an annular series of slots 3 in each of which is arranged a roller 4, said rollers being revolubly mounted in suitable bearings secured to the under side of the top as shown. In the center of the top 1 is formed a passage 5 through which pro jects a supplemental top supporting shaft 6, said shaft having detachably secured to its upper end a supplemental food supporting top 8, said top being of circular form and of less diameter than the main top of the table, whereby an annular space is formed between the edges of the tops which is of sufficient width to receive the individual plates or side dishes of the diners. The supplemental top 8 may be detachably secured to the upper end of the shaft 6 in any suitable manner, whereby said supplemental top may be readily removed to permit a table cloth 9 to be placed on the main top of the table, said cloth 9 having formed therein openings through which the shaft 6 and rollers 4 project. The supplemental top 8 is also preferably provided with a suitable cloth 10 and when said top is arranged in operative position on the main top, the outer portion thereof will be revolubly supported on the rollers 4, thus relieving the shaft 6 of the weight of the plates and dishes placed on the supplemen'tal top.

Secured .at a suitable position on the underside of the main top 1 of the table is a spring motor 11 to which the shaft 6 is geared in any suitable manner to receive the power of the motor, whereby said shaft is revolved to turn the supplemental top of the table when the motor is started. The motor 11 may be of any suitable construction and is preferably provided with a suitable governor 12, whereby the speed of the table top is automatically regulated to prevent the top 8 from revolving sofast as to upset or throw off the dishes placed'thereon.

The controlling mechanism for the motor comprises a friction brake disk 13 which is fixedly secured to the shaft of the motor and is adapted to be engaged by a brake shoe 14 carried by the inner end of a brake lever 15 which is pivotally mounted on a supporting bracket 16 forming part of the frame of the motor and projects radially away from the axial center of the table. This lever has connected to its outer end a spring 17 the tension of which is applied to swing the brake lever downward at its outer end so as to raise its inner end and hold the brake shoe in frictional engagement with the disk 13, whereby the governor is stopped and held against movement thus stopping the motor.

In order to permit any of the diners or persons seated at the table to start or stop the motor and thus turn the supplemental top to the desired position, for bringing a dish or object within reach, I provide a suitable trip mechanism, said mechanism comprising a trip plate 18 which is pivotally connected to the motor supporting mechanism beneath the top of the table and is provided on its lower end with a right angularly projecting trip lug 19 which is adapted to be brought into engagement with the inclined surface 20 at the outer end of the brake lever 15, whereby said outer end of the brake lever is lifted, thus disengaging the brake shoe on the inner end of the lever from the brake disk on the governor shaft, whereupon the governor will be released and the motor started. As soon as the trip plate 18 is swung in the opposite direction to disengage the lug 19 from the trip member 20 on the lever, the spring 17 will immediately operate the lever to engage the shoe thereon with the brake disk thus immediately stopping the motor and the supplemental top of the table.

In order that the trip plate 18 may be actuated by any of the occupants of the table to start the motor, I provide a trip actuating disk 21 which is pivotally mounted in a suitable position on the motor supporting mechanism eccentric to the center of the table and has secured to its lower side a depending trip operating stud 22 which is adapted to be engaged with a right angular off-set lug 28 formed on the upper end of the trip plate 18, whereby when said disk 21 is turned in the proper direction the stud 22 will be engaged with the lug 23, thus rocking the trip plate 18 and engaging the trip lug 19 thereon, with the trip member 20 on the brake lever, thus disengaging the latter from the brake disk in the manner described. Pi"- otally connected at their inner ends to the trip actuating disk 21 near its outer edge are a series of disk ope-rating rods 24, said rods being arranged tangent to the disk and projecting radially therefrom to positions near the outer edge of the main top 1 of the table. The outer ends of the rods are spaced at equal distances apart and will be disposed in front of the persons occupying the table.

The outer portions of the rods 24; are sup ported in suitable guides 25 and have formed in their outer ends eyes 26 with which are loosely engaged operating levers 27. One end of each lever 27 is Pivotally mounted in a suitable bearing 28 secured to the under side of the top 1. while the opposite end is provided with a knob 29 whereby the levers may be readily actuated to project the rods 24 inwardly, thus turning the trip actuating disk 21 in the proper direction for bringing the stud 22 thereon into operative engagement with the lug 23 on the trip plate whereby the latter is actuated to release the brake lever in the manner described.

Connected to the disk 21 is a coiled retracting spring 30, the opposite end of which is connected to a fixed part of the table, whereby when the disk is actuated by the rods 2%, the same will berestored or brought back to its normal position when said rods are released. When the disk is thus restored to its normal position by the spring 30, the spring 17 of the brake lever will swing the same into operative engagement with the brake disk and thus stop the motor, as hereinbefore described. I

The motor is supported and braced on the lower side of the table top by a suit-able sup porting and bracing mechanism, and is preferably inclosed in a suitable casing 31, provided with a suitable door whereby access may be had to the motor for oiling or cleaning, said casing protecting the motor from dust and preventing the same from injuring any one who may come into contact therewith. On the lower end of the spring winding shaft of the motor is fixedly mounted a bevel gear pinion 32 with which is engaged a similar pinion 33 fixed in the lower end of a winding shaft extension 3 1 which is mounted in suitable bearings and projects upwardly at an angle from the geared lower end thereof and has its upper end terminating a short distance below the top of the table and near the outer edge thereof. Adapted to be engaged with the outer end of the extension shaft 3 1 is a crank wheel 35, whereby said extension shaft may be turned. By thus constructing and arranging the ex tension shaft 34, it will be seen that. the winding shaft of the spring member may be operated to wind the spring without getting under the table.

In order to prevent either the main or supplemental table tops from interfering with the operation of the shaft 6 in the event that either of said tops should become warped said shaft is formed in two sections which are connected by a universal joint 36 arranged near the upper end of the shaft at the point where the same passes through the main table top 1 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 7 of the drawings. The passage in the center of the table top 1 through which the shaft passes is of sufficient size to receive the joint and permit the operation of the upper portion of the shaft. Se cured to the lower side of the table top 1 around the shaft 6 is a bearing plate 37 which revolubly supports the upper end of the main portion of the shaft and by arranging the oint in the passage of the table top above said plate the joint will not interfere with the operation of the supplemental table top or necessitate the spacing of the same above the main table top to accommodate the joint.

By means of a self waiting table constructed as herein shown and described, it will be seen that any person seated at the table may readily start and stop the operating mechanism and thus bring any desired object on the supplemental table top within reach, without disturbing any of the other occupants of the table.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a spring-actuated brake for normally checking the rotation thereof; of mechanism for releasing said brake including a pivotally supported disk, a trip engaging said brake, connections between the disk and trip for actuating the latter when the former is turned, and a series of rods pivoted to said disk and extending tangentially therefrom.

2. The combination with a motor-driven shaft, and a spring-actuated brake for normally checking the rotation thereof; of mechanism for releasing said brake includ ing a pivotally supported disk, a stud depending from said disk, a trip plate having lugs at its extremities one of which engages said brake and the other of which is adapted to be struck by said lug when the disk is turned, a pivotal support for said plate befor rotating said shaft, a pivoted brake lever having at one extremity a shoe and at its other extremity an inclined surface, a spring throwing the shoe normally in contact with a moving part of the shaft-rotating means, a trip plate centrally pivoted to a fixed support and having lugs at its extremities whereof one engages said inclined portion of the brake-lever, a pivotally supported disk, a stud thereon adapted to strike the other lug of the trip plate when the disk is turned, a series of rods pivoted to said disk and extending tangentially therefrom, and means at the outer ends of the rods whereby any one may be drawn on to turn said disk.

4:. The combination with a motor-driven shaft having a disk thereon, mechanisms driven by said shaft, a brake having an inclined portion, and a spring throwing the brake normally against said disk; of a pivoted trip plate whereof one end bears against said inclined portion, a rotary disk having a stud adapted to engage the other end of said plate when the disk is rotated, and means for rotating it from remote points.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVATSON CENTALA. Witnesses:

ANTHONY OENTALA, LUISE VEITEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

